DA’s Office announces grand jury indictment in 4 murders across NOLA

NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — On Thursday, June 2, the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office announced that they secured the indictment of four defendants for Second Degree Murders committed across neighborhoods throughout New Orleans. 

According to reports, the crimes took place in 2019 and 2022 in Gentilly, New Orleans East, French Quarter, and Algiers neighborhoods.

The Orleans Parish Grand Jury charged defendants Bokio B. Johnson, Joshua Taylor, James Patton, and Eugene Weathers in connection to the separate incidents.

Bokio B. Johnson was indicted for the second-degree murder with a firearm of Hollis Carter, which occurred in March near the intersection of Chef Menteur Highway ​and Providence Place in Gentilly. He was also charged with attempted second-degree murder with a firearm and one count of obstruction of justice in a second-degree murder investigation.

According to reports, Joshua Taylor was indicted for the second-degree murder with a firearm of Raynell Hughes, Jr., which occurred in March near the 4700 block of West Adams Court in New Orleans East. On top of that, he was also charged with one count of aggravated flight from an officer.

James Patton was indicted for the second-degree murder with a firearm of Russell Ricou, which occurred in January 2022 in the 900 block of Conti Street in the French Quarter. Additionally, he was charged with obstruction of justice in a homicide investigation and being a Felon in possession of a firearm.

Eugene Weathers was indicted for the second-degree murder of Jonathan Simmons, which occurred in April 2019 in the 1600 block of Newton Street in Algiers. He was also charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

In a statement District Attorney Jason Williams said the following:

“We purposefully convene the New Orleans Grand Jury each week to secure indictments against serious offenders and for justice to be delivered to the families and victims of ​violent crime in our city,” said District Attorney Jason Williams. “The top priority of this District Attorney’s Office is to increase safety in New Orleans. Every day, our prosecutors are laser-focused on successfully prosecuting violent crimes, like these murders that took place across our community. The people of this city can rest assured that the DA’s Office is doing everything possible to ensure that our neighborhoods are safer and that our streets are rid of those looking to cause harm.”